| NFL fans are beginning to take a liking (with their viewing anyway) to the 9:30 ET/6:30 PT starts from across the pond. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Many NFL fans would prefer for their teams not to give up home games to play overseas, but all indications are that the NFL thinks playing in foreign countries is good for business. The latest indication is that NFL Network announced that this year’s slate of Sunday morning games in Europe was its most-watched on record. NFL Network averaged 6.2 million viewers for its six Sunday morning games (one in Dublin, three in London, one in Berlin, one in Madrid), which is an increase of 32 percent from the average audience for last year’s Sunday morning games, and the best year NFL Network has ever had for its Sunday morning package. The primary reason the NFL plays overseas is to attract fans in foreign markets. But if it also produces another package of broadcasts that catches on with Sunday morning viewers in the United States, the league sees that as a nice bonus. Suffice to say, the Sunday morning games aren’t going anywhere. They’re becoming a staple of the NFL schedule. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSGiants coach Dan Campbell liked what he saw from the Giants last week against Green Bay in their first game under interim coach Mike Kafka. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The first time Dan Campbell became a head coach, he was named interim head coach of the Dolphins in 2015. The Dolphins won their first game under Campbell by a score of 38-10. It was clear that Campbell had brought fresh energy to his team. Now Campbell is head coach of the Lions, and he’s preparing to play a Giants team that just played its first game under interim head coach Mike Kafka. And Campbell says he sees a lot of that interim-coach energy when watching tape of the Giants’ game against the Packers on Sunday. “I think there was some fresh energy last week when you watched them against Green Bay. Sometimes it’s just that newness,” Campbell said. “Just the change itself, something a little different or a little new can spark you. There was a little bit of that. They’ve always played hard, watch the tape, these guys played hard in September, October, early November. But there’s probably a little bit of that, and they had a chance to beat Green Bay.” The Lions are 10-point favorites against the Giants on Sunday, but Campbell knows an interim head coach can bring a fresh energy to a team that isn’t expected to win. |
| PHILADELPHIAThe Eagles are on a great run, but Bill Barnwell notices that Coach Nick Sirianni does not get anywhere near the credit as other coaches with less resumés (Dan Campbell? Kyle Shanahan?). It’s a long take and we have to edit it. Philadelphia Eagles fans are not easily pleased or placated for very long. These are the same fans who booed their own team off the field at halftime in Week 1 of the 2018 season … two quarters into the team’s first game after winning the city its first Super Bowl. Expectations are high and judgment for the players and coaches who don’t meet those expectations in the court of public opinion can be swift. This isn’t a complaint or a criticism but merely a reflection of reality. Nobody should be naive about what they’re getting into if they’re stepping onto the field or running things off it in Philadelphia. Even by those standards, though, the roller coaster of emotions directed toward head coach Nick Sirianni is fascinating and remarkable. The Eagles have enjoyed nearly unprecedented success during Sirianni’s tenure, making it to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons at the helm. He has made it to two Super Bowls and won one across that span. Eagles fans seemed to love Sirianni during the 2022 season and then again at the end of the 2024 campaign. But even midway through last year’s Super Bowl-winning campaign, there were “Fire Nick” chants in the crowd, with the coach responding by seemingly shouting back at his own fans after a victory. Every team has fans who get upset at the coaches, of course, and Eagles fans eventually grew tired of Andy Reid and ran him out of town, too. But even nationally, there isn’t the same respect paid toward Sirianni as there is toward young coaches like Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan, even though Sirianni (arguably) has a better résumé than either coach — and any of his other under-50 counterparts around the NFL. Let’s take a closer look. I’m not here to judge anyone’s feelings toward Sirianni inside or outside of Philadelphia, but there’s something interesting about this situation. Is Sirianni actually off to a historically great start to his career? Why does he attract more skepticism than other successful coaches? Is that warranted? And could the 8-2 Eagles just sub Big Dom in and get double-digit wins every season? Sirianni’s Hall of Fame trackJust on a sheer, simple examination of Sirianni’s résumé, it seems impossible to argue with the idea that he’s off to the sort of start we associate with legendary head coaches. There’s nobody else in this generation who has been more successful this early in their career than the 44-year-old Sirianni. Let’s start with the record. In the middle of his fifth year as an NFL head coach, Sirianni is 56-22, good for a .718 winning percentage. That’s roughly the equivalent of winning a little over 12 games every year in the 17-game era. The only team with a better winning percentage since Sirianni’s arrival in Philadelphia is Reid’s team in Kansas City, which has gone 57-21 over that same span. Reid is a veteran coach with decades of experience, though. Sirianni has been this good from the moment he took over. That sort of early-career success isn’t unprecedented, but it’s close. Among guys with at least 60 games across their first five seasons as an NFL head coach, Sirianni’s .718 win percentage is the seventh best in league history through Year 5. The people ahead of him make for impressive company: Paul Brown (.887), Chuck Knox (.779), George Seifert (.775), Don Shula (.738), George Allen (.729) and John Madden (.721). That group includes four Hall of Famers, and it’s coaches who did most or all of their work before the salary cap tightened league parity. Just behind Sirianni are the likes of Joe Gibbs (.699), Mike Tomlin (.688), Jim Harbaugh (.685), Mike Ditka (.685) and McVay (.680) — superstar coaches in more modern times. Nobody who started their NFL coaching career after 1990 has begun that career with a better winning percentage through five seasons than Sirianni. There’s one other coach I didn’t mention between Sirianni and those legendary figures in the prior paragraph. Falcons coach Mike Smith might be the lone example from the 21st century who got off to this hot of a start and didn’t earn the plaudits that the other coaches listed above received. Smith went 56-24 (.700) to start his career but won only one playoff game over that five-year span. And after going 10-22 in Years 6 and 7, the Falcons fired Smith from what would be his only head coaching job. So while it’s rare for a head coach with Sirianni’s sort of success to be treated as something short of a savant, it isn’t unprecedented. It’s tough for me to compare Sirianni to Smith, though, when factoring in postseason success. We don’t know what he’ll do in this season’s playoffs, but Sirianni has made it to two Super Bowls in his first four seasons, winning one. He has also made it to the postseason in each of his first four years and would become just the fifth coach in league history to make it 5-for-5 if the Eagles don’t collapse down the stretch (league-best 99.6% chance to make the postseason, per ESPN’s Football Power Index). The list of coaches who have made it to the playoffs in each of their first four seasons and advanced all the way to two or more Super Bowls is one person long. He’s the only coach in the Super Bowl era to pull that off. Brown won titles in the pre-Super Bowl era, while Bill Cowher is the only other coach to make it to the playoffs in each of his first four years and advance to at least one Super Bowl. (The Steelers came up short to the Cowboys.) Knox, John Harbaugh and John Robinson all made it to the playoffs in each of their first four years without winning a title over that time frame. At the same time, Sirianni was able to start his playoff run in Philadelphia by taking advantage of a seventh seed in 2021 that wasn’t available to many other coaches in prior seasons. Even so, if we limit this to coaches who have made three playoff trips in four years, Sirianni would still be in very rarified air. Through four full years, here are the neighborhoods in which Sirianni resides: Three or more playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances: Gibbs, Sirianni and Tomlin Three or more playoff appearances, one Super Bowl win: Gibbs, Sirianni, Tomlin, Bill Parcells, Doug Pederson, Seifert and Barry Switzer Gibbs and Tomlin each won one of those two Super Bowls. Seifert and Switzer both inherited teams that had won the Super Bowl literally in the season before their arrival. Tomlin’s Steelers had won the championship two years before he was appointed as head coach. Pederson is also on this list, which also seems like it should be addressed. Did Sirianni merely inherit a great situation from the prior coach? Well, it depends on how much we’re willing to discount what was a rough 2020 season. Pederson’s Eagles were good to great for most of his time there. The 2016 team went 7-9, but those Eagles were analytical darlings, leading them to be on the list of teams likely to improve in 2017. They won the Super Bowl and then posted back-to-back 9-7 records in 2018 and 2019, losing in the playoffs without an injured Carson Wentz both times. (Wentz played one quarter of the loss to the Seahawks in the 2019 wild-card round.) The 2020 Eagles were a disaster, going 4-11-1 in a putrid NFC East. Wentz melted down, first growing frustrated with the organization’s decision to use a second-round pick on Jalen Hurts before falling apart behind an injury-riddled offensive line. Veterans like Malik Jackson, DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery had disappointing years, and by the end of the season, things had grown completely toxic. Seemingly stuck with a choice between Pederson and Wentz, the organization chose to move on from both, trading Wentz to the Colts and firing Pederson, three years after his Super Bowl victory. Even that 2020 team, though, was better than it seemed. The Eagles finished a hair under six expected wins by their point differential, and combined with their brutal injury luck, they ended up on the likely to improve list again in 2021. The 2021 version of the Football Outsiders Almanac projected the Eagles for 7.3 wins. Philly found something leaning into the quarterback run game with Hurts, who exceeded expectations in his first full year as a starter and went 9-8 against an easy schedule. It’s probably fair to treat the team Sirianni inherited as somewhere between the perennial playoff visitors of 2017-19 and the slop factory that was the 2020 edition. He joined a team in the middle of a retooling, if not a complete rebuild, and got it directly back into the postseason as the 7-seed. Then the Eagles leveled up again and came within a drive of winning Super Bowl LVII. And then, after a frustrating 2023 season (which we’ll get to later), Sirianni’s Eagles had one of the best seasons of the past 25 years, defying skeptics like me and stomping the league en route to a blowout win in Super Bowl LIX. There are a lot of people who deserve credit for Philly’s quick rise back to prominence after that 2020 season. Sirianni does seem like one of them. Why doesn’t that always seem to be the case? I can see a few reasons why. Let’s run through them and see why there’s a disconnect between Sirianni’s résumé and the perception of him. Argument 1: It’s all Howie Roseman!The common thread between the Pederson and Sirianni eras in Philadelphia, of course, is the general manager. Eagles fans have buried their memories of chanting “Fire Howie” at Phillies games in the spring of 2021, but there’s no denying that Roseman has played a meaningful role in building Philadelphia’s two Super Bowl winners over the past decade.– – –Argument 2: Anyone can win with this much talent …There’s no arguing that the Eagles are loaded. Roseman built one of the league’s most exciting young cores on defense through the draft, which has allowed the organization to build the most expensive offense in NFL history in terms of cash spending during both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Eagles have Pro Bowl-or-better talent at 10 of their 11 starting spots on offense, even if injuries and inconsistency mean all of those guys aren’t always on the field and playing at that level simultaneously. There are also coaches who clearly benefit from being tied to an elite quarterback. Zac Taylor went 40-27 between 2021 and 2024, but I don’t think there were many people who attributed that success to Taylor as opposed to sending the majority of the credit to Joe Burrow. Mike McCarthy’s win-loss record was more about Aaron Rodgers than whatever schemes the veteran coach was cooking up. Sirianni, on the other hand, has a quarterback who seemingly only Eagles fans believe is an elite quarterback. Hurts consistently wins games, but he also routinely ends up out of the top 10 when media members and even league insiders rank the best quarterbacks in football. I would argue Hurts is underrated, but this isn’t a case where the public perception is that Sirianni has been carried by his QB to a gaudy record. Let’s be realistic here. No coach is going to win in the NFL without talent. Ask Bill Belichick the coach about what happened once Bill Belichick the general manager wasn’t hitting on his draft picks or finding starters on the back of other teams’ rosters every year. – – –Does every free agent addition work out? Of course not. Don’t ask Eagles fans about Huff or Nicholas Morrow. Does every player who leaves immediately struggle? No. Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are having great years away from Philadelphia. But there is a meaningful and significant number of players the Eagles have added who have elevated their game in green and white. Is that a product of great coaching? Sure! Is that a product of Sirianni’s coaching? Well … Argument 3: It’s the other coachesSirianni has not lacked for notable assistant coaches during his time in Philadelphia, in part because teams keep hiring his coordinators away for head coaching roles after the Super Bowl appearances. Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon both earned lead jobs in Indianapolis and Arizona, respectively, after the 2022 season. Kellen Moore was one-and-done after landing the head coaching job in New Orleans. And Sirianni inherited legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland from the Kelly and Pederson regimes, giving him one of the most respected and impactful positional coaches in football. At the same time, it would be silly to pretend that all of the moves have panned out. Brian Johnson and Sean Desai were overmatched in the 2023 season, and Sirianni made the decision to promote Matt Patricia into the defensive playcaller role, which only made things worse. Kevin Patullo has quickly been blamed for the struggles of the 2025 offense, and given that both Johnson and Patullo were internal promotions from Sirianni’s staff, the head coach has also borne some of the blame for either hiring the wrong guy or not being able to fix the offensive consistency issues himself. It has been easy to credit other coaches for some of the successes I mentioned earlier. Fangio gets credit for having the vision to move Baun back to linebacker while molding Mitchell and DeJean into instant standouts at cornerback. Stoutland has brought Becton and the young offensive linemen through, which opened up holes for Barkley. Steichen’s quarterback run scheme got the most out of Hurts. All of those things are true! And yet, it seems remarkable to believe that Sirianni didn’t really have anything to do with any of those improvements. – – –All of those things can simultaneously be true. It seems notable that Sirianni has continued to win and will likely make it to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons despite having the same offensive and defensive coordinator just once in back-to-back years. Steichen has had a great year in Indianapolis, but it’s the first year where either he, Moore or Gannon has looked like an elite head coach since leaving the Eagles. And while those coordinators looked great after leaving the Eagles, things weren’t as impressive going in. Steichen joined the Eagles after leaving the Chargers, where fans didn’t want him to stick around and pinned Justin Herbert’s development on Pep Hamilton. Gannon had never been a coordinator before and was wildly unpopular during his first season with the team, with Eagles fans furious about the defense’s passivity and the coordinator’s comment that he doesn’t have a scheme. (He did.) Even the imports who won the title in 2024 had question marks. Moore had essentially been fired in consecutive years by the Cowboys and Chargers before joining the Eagles, and while I felt those moves were unwarranted, Moore had a reputation as being too cute in playcalling or leaning too heavily into the pass. Fangio’s reputation around the league is legendary, but he had struggled as a head coach in Denver before being fired after one season in Miami, where the players openly celebrated his departure. Argument 4: We’re not really sure what he does hereI can see a case for this one, but I’d also argue that it’s partly perception. Sirianni wasn’t widely regarded as a hot young coaching candidate before joining the Eagles. He’s an offensive mind who didn’t call the plays in Indianapolis and hasn’t been the primary playcaller since Year 1 in Philly. If fans can’t pin you to great plays on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, there isn’t going to be much in the way of your visible impact on game day. Sirianni doesn’t help by being (likely deliberately) muddled when he discusses his role within the offense. It’s his scheme, but it’s also the coordinator’s scheme. Sirianni doesn’t call plays, but he has a voice, and sometimes, he does call plays. That might work fine in the building, but that uncertainty is going to lead to complaints about Sirianni when the offense does struggle. There’s one other thing Sirianni does very clearly have control over on Sundays and hasn’t won him any fans in recent weeks … Argument 5: He’s wild on fourth downWhenever I hear smart coaches like McVay talk about analytics and how they let the “flow of the game” determine their calls, I sigh. Individual game dynamics might matter, but you can bake them into a decision-making model. Coaches are also great at seeing what the flow of the game has been, but they’re not necessarily better than a model about predicting what the flow of the game is going to be. The Bears went against the numbers and punted to J.J. McCarthy up six in Vikings territory on Sunday, surely because McCarthy had looked awful for most of the day; he promptly marched down the field for a touchdown to take the lead. Football’s a strange game. More than anything, though, the frustrating thing about coaches making excuses for why their particular game or situation caused them to ignore what the evidence suggested is that it’s almost always an excuse to be more conservative or traditional. Ninety-nine times out of 100, when a coach says that the numbers might have said something but didn’t tell the whole story, it’s so they can do the more comfortable or familiar thing. A coach might say that their team failed on an earlier play in short yardage, that the weather was sloppy or that their defense was playing well as an excuse to punt or kick when the numbers said to be aggressive. You’ll almost never hear them say the opposite — that the numbers said to punt or kick, but since their team had been dominating in short yardage, the weather was great or since their offense had been so good all day, they ignored the numbers and were more aggressive than what the data suggested. If the coach is adjusting for the flow of the game, theoretically, they should be doing both. Well, Sirianni is one of the exceptions to that rule. I don’t always support every decision, but you can’t argue that the Eagles coach is very comfortable being aggressive. Two weeks ago against Green Bay, the Eagles tried to end the game by converting a fourth-and-6 from the Packers’ 35-yard line with 33 seconds to go, a move both traditional observers and ESPN Analytics hated. Last week against Detroit, they failed on a fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line with three minutes to go while up by 10 points, a move that was much more defensible by the various models I’ve seen, if uncommon. I would suspect very strongly that Sirianni’s aggressiveness is supported by the organization. While those moves didn’t work, Sirianni’s aggressiveness has paid off at times. Since 2021, Sirianni has added 43.7 points of EPA with his decisions on fourth down, the second most of any team in the NFL behind the Lions. Some of that is a product of the tush push, of course, but the Eagles both developed, perfected and have come to exploit the tush push under Sirianni. Great short-yardage teams in the past, like the Cam Newton-era Panthers, didn’t get the most out of their schematic advantage. Even if we just focus on fourth-and-3 or more to take the tush push out of the equation, the Eagles are fifth in decision EPA and win probability created on fourth-down offensive plays over the past four years. Argument 6: The Eagles aren’t as impressive as they should beThis season, the Eagles have struggled to separate from their competition at times, leading to a series of frustrating second halves and close fourth quarters in games they could or should be dominating. They became one of the many teams to blow a late lead to the Broncos this season. Even last year, during a much more dominant campaign, the Eagles lost to the Falcons and nearly blew leads against the Browns and Jaguars, two of the worst teams in football. On the whole, though, have the Eagles lacked a killer instinct under Sirianni? Not really. Since the start of 2021, they have the fourth-best point differential And of course, the Eagles have come up with decisive victories when things matter most. Sirianni’s team has four playoff wins by three scores or more since he has taken over: the 38-7 and 31-7 victories over the Giants and 49ers in the NFC playoffs in 2022, respectively, and the 55-23 and 40-22 wins over the Commanders and Chiefs, respectively, to seal up the Super Bowl in 2024. They’ve also lost a pair of playoff games by 16 and 23 points to the Bucs, but the good outweighs the bad here. Argument 7: When they were bad, it poisoned the well of public opinionI do think there’s some truth to this one. I don’t recall there being much criticism or frustration toward Sirianni through the first 2½ years of his tenure, when the Eagles had made it to the Super Bowl and started Year 3 by going 10-1. There were underlying factors to be concerned about, but Sirianni had gone 32-8 in his prior 40 games. The Eagles were flying high. And then, well, everything collapsed in ugly fashion. The Eagles got blown out by the 49ers and suddenly couldn’t stop losing. They lost five of their final six games, falling to teams like the 6-11 Giants and 4-13 Cardinals along the way. The defense looked hopelessly lost, and Sirianni’s move to promote Patricia was widely panned. The Eagles blew a comfortable lead in the NFC East, and when they went on the road to Tampa Bay in the wild-card round, the Bucs beat them 32-9. It was a roller coaster of a season, and it felt like Sirianni was along for the ride instead of being the person at the controls. Did that create a perception that Sirianni wasn’t cut out for the role? Maybe. He obviously responded with the best possible season by winning the Super Bowl, but the credit mostly went elsewhere, to the players and Roseman and Moore and Fangio. Have other great coaches endured that sort of collapse? Sure. In reverse, Reid’s Chiefs started 1-5 with a healthy Alex Smith in 2015 and then won 10 straight to finish the season. Tomlin’s Steelers dropped from 8-2 to 10-7 a year ago. Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers were 7-4 in 2014, lost four of their final five games and missed the playoffs, and Harbaugh lost his power struggle with Trent Baalke and sent the team into the coach carousel. It happens, although perhaps not as dramatically as it did for Sirianni. Argument 8: His sideline demeanor is badI also, unfortunately, think it’s this one. I’m not sure how NFL coaches are supposed to act, but I can certainly say that Sirianni’s personality and histrionics as they come through on the sideline don’t do him any favors. It feels like Sirianni is constantly trying to work the refs and overreacting when things don’t go his or the Eagles’ way Does that matter? Not to me. It’s mostly a product of perception. I’m reminded of what Baker Mayfield said a few weeks ago, about how he has never changed as a pro or as a person, but how the same attitude that was perceived as cocky or immature earlier in his career when he was struggling is now seen as moxie or being a dog because he’s playing better and on a winning team. Is the same not true for Sirianni? I’m not sure he’s appreciably different now than he was on the sideline a few years ago So … how should we view Sirianni?I think Sirianni is a very good coach with pretty bad PR, some of which is self-inflicted. There’s great infrastructure in Philadelphia, which goes a long way, but you have to really contort yourself to credit everyone around Sirianni for the Eagles’ success without giving the head coach a meaningful dollop of praise for what the organization has accomplished since he was hired. In terms of comparable coaches? Two come to mind. One on résumé alone is Joe Gibbs. Like Sirianni, Gibbs took over an organization in the Northeast that had generally been successful, only to change paths after one disappointing season. Gibbs was a 41-year-old first-time head coach with three years of coordinator experience, leaving him one year older than Sirianni when he took over. He coached a Washington team built around the offensive line and whose line coach (Joe Bugel) earned more praise than just about any other positional coach in football for what he did. Gibbs won a title in his second season, but that was in a strike-shortened, nine-game campaign. Washington made it to the Super Bowl the following year, only to be blown out by the Raiders. It took Washington three years to win another playoff game, but with time, Gibbs proved himself to be a legendary coach, winning three Super Bowls across a 16-year career. Their personalities on the sideline couldn’t be much different, but Sirianni’s résumé most closely matches with Gibbs. The other coach might be John Harbaugh, who has never necessarily gotten the credit he deserved for being so consistently successful in Baltimore. Like Sirianni and Gibbs, Harbaugh took over a lauded team after one disastrous, disappointing season. Much of the infrastructure was already in place to succeed. And some of the things people don’t like about Harbaugh (typically his aggressiveness on fourth down) are something close to an organizational mandate, one Harbaugh typically has to wear in front of the public when things go wrong. Because Harbaugh was hired away from the Eagles as a special teams coach, he doesn’t call plays on game day, which also leads to murmurs about not understanding what he does or why he’s so valuable to the Ravens. There’s a reason, though, that Baltimore has been consistently successful throughout Harbaugh’s tenure, even as the Ravens faded out of the Ray Lewis and Ed Reed era and into that of Lamar Jackson & Co. Sirianni is only in Year 5, but unless he decides to quit or things completely collapse, he should be around for the next generation of Eagles football. By then, the fans might even like him again. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYHe wasn’t with the Rams very long, but QB BAKER MAYFIELD admits he might not be in his current position had he not spent some time in the orbit of Sean McVay. When the Buccaneers play the Rams on Sunday night, it will be the first time quarterback Baker Mayfield plays the club since he was a part of the team in 2022. After Carolina cut Mayfield, Los Angeles claimed him on waivers. Just a couple of days after that, Mayfield came in and famously led a 98-yard, two-minute drive to power a comeback victory over the Raiders. In his Wednesday press conference, Mayfield told reporters that being able to play for the Rams was quite significant in his development as a pro. “There is no way for me to sugarcoat it — it was pivotal in my career and in my journey,” Mayfield said. “I’ve told you guys that it helped me find the fun in football again — that joy. And just, getting to learn from those guys. Obviously, it looks a lot different now that Raheem Morris is gone, Zac Robinson [is gone], Liam [Coen is gone], but Sean [McVay has] been there the whole time. “They helped me out and helped me discover what offense I really want to play in, and the responsibility that comes with [it] — a lot of accountability at the line of scrimmage and to check and get to the right plays. Yeah, it was instrumental in my career, something I am forever grateful for, and it will be fun to go back and see some familiar faces.” While Matthew Stafford was injured during that time, he was still around the club and Mayfield picked some things up from the veteran QB. “I think I gained an even [greater] level of respect for him about communication, about how he wanted certain routes, certain schemes to be done,” Mayfield said. “When you’re at that level — that year, I guess — in your career, you kind of run the ship. Just had a lot of respect for him before, but seeing it in person on how detailed he really was in exactly what he was going to try and check to, that was big seeing it in person.” Since that time, Mayfield has grown into being a franchise quarterback for the Bucs, starting every game for Tampa Bay over the last three seasons and earning a contract to fit his performance. In 2025, he’s completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 2,365 yards with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOIt looks like PK MATT GAY may get a chance with the 49ers with PK EDDIE PINEIRO ailing. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: After working out multiple kickers, the 49ers have found their temporary replacement for Eddy Pineiro. The team signed Matt Gay to the practice squad on Wednesday, cutting wide receiver Russell Gage Jr. from the practice squad in a corresponding move. Pineiro has a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which prompted the kicker tryouts this week. Gay, 31, was waived by the Commanders earlier this week. He has made only 13 of 19 field goals, and he missed two field goals in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Dolphins. His 68.4 percent success rate ranks 32nd of the 34 kickers who have enough attempts to qualify this season. Gay, a 2019 fifth-round pick of the Buccaneers, has also played for the Colts and Rams. As we documented earlier this week, and as is not mentioned above, Gay has been incredibly accurate on all of his kicks under 50 yards – and below average, but not hopeless on 50+ kicks, of which he has been entrusted with a higher percentage than most kickers. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERA good point from Down Under: @AussietalksNFLThe Denver Broncos record over the last two seasons is 19 – 9 while paying a guy $85 million to not play for them. Don’t let anyone tell you Sean Payton isn’t a good football coach. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIQB JOE BURROW practiced more (full participant) Wednesday than QB JOE FLACCO (limited), but it is Flacco that Coach Zac Taylor seems to want us to think will start Sunday against mighty New England. Ben Baby of ESPN.com: – Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is one step closer to returning to game action. Burrow was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice, according to the team’s injury report. It’s the first time the Pro Bowl quarterback has been 100 percent in practice since he suffered a turf toe injury on Sept. 14 against Jacksonville. Wednesday also marked the first time Burrow went through 11-on-11 drills in his return to practice. He is still in a 21-day window that allows him to participate without being on the active roster. Before practice, Bengals coach Zac Taylor was asked if Burrow could start Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. Taylor was dismissive of the notion. “Until we get through some practices, there’s no reason for me to even speculate on that,” Taylor said. Burrow has eyed Thanksgiving as a potential return date from the injury that required surgery and has caused him to miss the past seven games. After practice, Burrow did not offer any indication as to what his timeline could look like. When Burrow spoke to reporters last week, he indicated that the team’s record could play a factor in whether he returns. Cincinnati (3-7) has lost seven of its past eight games and is on a three-game skid entering Sunday’s home game against the Patriots (9-2), who are tied for the best record in the AFC. “Right now, he’s of the mindset that he wants to play football for us,” Taylor said Monday. “We’ll just continue to get through his rehab progression and see where that ends up before we make any decision on how we want to proceed.” Joe Flacco, who has started the past five games since being acquired by trade, was limited with a sprained right shoulder. The 40-year-old veteran has played through the injury since he suffered it toward the end of the team’s Week 9 loss to the New York Jets on Oct. 26. In leading up to the past two games, the team has managed Flacco’s workload at the beginning of the week. Given Burrow’s timeline, it raises the possibility that Sunday could be Flacco’s last scheduled start in Cincinnati. Flacco told ESPN that even if he has not dwelled on the idea, it has crossed his mind. Former WR Jordy Nelson didn’t warm to the idea of WR Ja’MARR CHASE spitting on a cornerback. ESPN: Ja’Marr Chase’s one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey was upheld Tuesday, meaning the star Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver can’t play Sunday against the New England Patriots. Chase’s appeal was heard by Jordy Nelson, who was jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Nelson upheld the suspension, which the league had announced Monday. The ban will cost Chase his weekly paycheck of $448,333. He also will forfeit a $58,823 per-game active bonus. The incident occurred in Cincinnati’s 34-12 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Video from Cincinnati’s WXIX-TV showed Chase clearly spitting in Ramsey’s direction, which prompted Ramsey to throw a punch at Chase. At the time, officials did not spot Chase’s actions before ejecting Ramsey for the thrown punch. Chase finished the game. “We did not see anything that rose to that level at all,” referee Bill Vinovich said in a pool report afterward. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THE TOP 5 QUARTERBACKSJeff Howe of The Athletic looks at the top 5 quarterbacks in the draft, although he warns that none of them track as being superstars: A sobering reality is taking shape with the 2026 NFL Draft class. As recently as a couple of months ago, teams anticipated a stacked crop of quarterbacks — not necessarily rivaling the 2024 draft class but surely better than the 2025 group. But with college quarterbacks underperforming across the board, there are serious concerns about the position, and that is going to reshape teams’ plans for the opening round. “Nobody is playing the position well enough to be like, ‘That dude can take over my franchise,’” said an NFL team executive who was granted anonymity so he could speak openly. This could be a massive blow to teams like the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, which have glaring holes at QB and a pair of first-round selections at their disposal. It also hurts the Tennessee Titans, who have the inside track on the top pick, and their ability to auction off the selection to the highest bidder. Of course, there’s plenty of time for evaluations to evolve between now and April, but the early analysis hasn’t been encouraging. There’s no clear-cut top prospect to truly set the pace for the rest of the class. “I don’t love any of (the quarterbacks) right now,” a second executive said. “We’re trying to grasp onto somebody because there isn’t anybody, and it’s such a flavor of the week. Good luck right now.” For context, those two executives don’t work for teams that need a franchise quarterback, so they’re not being disingenuous in an attempt to earn a competitive advantage. They’d actually prefer these QBs to climb up the ranks because it’d help their teams’ chances of drafting a better player at another position. No one ever believed this group had a chance to compare to the historic 2024 class that featured six quarterbacks among the top 12 picks, including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye right out of the chute. But after Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart were the only first-rounders in 2025, the common refrain was simple: Wait till next year. Well, it might already be time to kick that can down the road to 2027. “Overall, we were hoping it was going to be better than last year,” a third executive said. “There was a hangover from such a good class two years ago. There were more projected (quarterbacks) coming into this year, but the expectations of the higher-end players never really materialized. Some of the younger guys are leaning toward going back because they haven’t played well and are making the NIL money.” Fernando Mendoza, IndianaIf the draft were today, the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder might have the edge as the top QB. But even the staunchest Mendoza supporters don’t believe it’s by a wide margin. The redshirt junior has the prototypical size at the position and is built similarly to Maye, though Mendoza isn’t as athletic. One executive said Mendoza processes his reads at a higher rate now than Maye did at this time in his final season at North Carolina. Mendoza is a pocket passer who will run if necessary, and he’s tough. He scrambled more during his time at Cal because he was forced to really drive the offense. Still, Mendoza has been more comfortable controlling the game from the pocket with a better supporting cast and system at Indiana. He has good accuracy, delivers a clean, catchable ball and has above-average arm strength. Executives like his decision-making and ball security — both traits have drastically improved this season. Mendoza also led a game-winning drive last week against Penn State that will help his cause. Mendoza has high character, and a couple of executives gushed over his passion for the game and drive to get better. He doesn’t strike evaluators as a QB who can take over a game, but that tier of prospect doesn’t currently exist in this class. His pre-draft interviews will be important because of his rigid, almost robotic personality and quiet leadership style. That might get picked apart during draft season, but no one called it a red flag. “If people are caught up on that,” an executive said, “they’re getting caught up on the wrong things.” Another exec added, “If you make plays in the clutch, and you’re tough as s—, guys start believing in you.” We interrupt for this tweet: @_JCle_Fernando Mendoza Pros: NFL size NFL armMobile enough Elite accuracy Great touch Great pocket presence11-0 with Indiana Multiple game winning drives and clutch moments High football IQ 3 year starter Cons: He’s a dork Now back to Howe’s report:Ty Simpson, AlabamaThe 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has had an eye-opening ascension in his first season as the starter. “He’s had the best year out of all of (the QB prospects), but he’s not as high up as some of these other guys in terms of physical tools,” an executive said. “More power to him. The kid has played his tail off, and he’s throwing the s— out of the ball.” Simpson throws a great ball, the evaluators agreed, and he has advanced poise and polish for a first-time starter. The redshirt junior processes quickly and gets the ball out on time with accuracy. One evaluator said Simpson simply plays under control and has good command on the field. Simpson’s lack of starts is a concern, and there’s no question he’d benefit from returning to school to gain more experience. He doesn’t wow teams with his traits, but the film has been the strength of his resume. One evaluator compared Simpson to Brock Purdy or Mac Jones — good players who get the ball where it needs to go. Dante Moore, OregonNFL teams think the 20-year-old redshirt sophomore will return to school, and that’d be useful to clean up his issues with inconsistency. The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder has certainly improved, but one executive said a return to school could put him on a Jayden Daniels-style trajectory as someone whose stock could skyrocket if he starts to play a cleaner game. There’s a lot of optimism that Moore will reach his potential, but the consensus is that another season in college would be better for his development than trying to refine some fundamental struggles in the NFL. If he did declare, though? “I just think there’s a lot to work with as a player and a person,” an executive said. “I’d take him (as the top QB) at the end of the day.” LaNorris Sellers, South CarolinaThe 6-foot-3, 240-pounder has traits on top of traits on top of traits. He’s big and explosive, boasts a powerful arm, can win with his legs on third down and is tough to tackle. Coming out of the summer, it was fair to believe a solid season would solidify Sellers as the top QB because of his overall athletic ability. However, Sellers just hasn’t played well enough, and teams are hoping the 20-year-old will return to school. He played well in the second half of the 2024 season, but South Carolina doesn’t have enough help around him, particularly on the offensive line. Taking on too much of the burden, Sellers hasn’t had the chance to make the jump that many hoped to see. Whether it’s the offensive philosophy or they do it out of necessity because of the lack of help around him, Sellers has a lot of one-read-and-go plays. That’s going to make his transition to the NFL more difficult with calls, checks, reads and progressions. He also needs to tighten up his footwork and mechanics, according to evaluators. If Sellers gets there, watch out. “He’s got franchise quarterback physical ability,” an executive said. “But can he get there with the other stuff?” Arch Manning, TexasManning almost certainly won’t enter the 2026 draft, but he’s worth mentioning for two reasons: He’d at least be in the QB1 conversation if he declared, and it doesn’t sound like anyone from the next tier has enough time to make that type of jump. The 21-year-old redshirt sophomore has an above-average arm and good athleticism, and he has a prototypical frame at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds. Manning also has high-quality intangibles. He simply needs a lot more reps at Texas. Manning has improved throughout the season, three executives agreed. “Guys are allowed to get better as players,” an executive said, mocking the criticism of Manning’s season opener against Ohio State. “We judged him off his, what, first three games in college football and said he’s a bust? He’s been getting better.” Added another executive: “Shocker, a guy who had never started in major college football didn’t get off to a race-car start. It’s all still in front of him.” |
| BUNNY BUSINESSA member of one of the NFL’s ruling families took to the airwaves to cast her lot with the alternative Super Bowl halftime show and against the NFL/Roc Nation choice of Bad Bunny. Ryan Gaydos of FoxNews.com: Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, applauded Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA for attempting to create their own halftime show to go against Bad Bunny. The Grammy Award-winning artist was announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show performer earlier this year, sparking outrage among some because of his criticism of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Hunt appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The Will Cain Show” and said Kirk has done a great job leading young female Americans, and she was “most definitely” looking forward to Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show. “I really respect Erika for all that she’s done, especially with creating a halftime show for America. You know, children are young, they’re impressionable. Young women, young men and everyone, they just need someone to look up to,” Hunt said. “As someone who doesn’t yet have young children of my own, I can’t imagine how difficult that is to navigate. But I think she’s done an incredible job leading Turning Point, leading young women and really leading an alternative for young Americans. Football’s becoming the world sport, but, at its heart, it’s America’s sport built around family. “When my grandfather named the Super Bowl, he intended it to be something children and families of all ages could come together and watch and really believed that the game should come first, that football is the attraction and that it didn’t need to compromise its character or rely on cheap appeal to draw an audience, especially when that approach can alienate so much of the fan base. “The NFL honors women, the military, this country, celebrates communities. So, I think that whoever they select going forward for the halftime show needs to reflect those values more closely. So, I respect Erika.” Hunt said she would love to see Jason Aldean or even Taylor Swift take the stage for a halftime show performance in the future. The NFL has supported its decision to have Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Additionally, Hunt said she was “excited” about the religious revival in the U.S. among women. “I think our generation gets a bad rap, but I am so excited by this movement I’ve seen within this younger generation,” she said. “They are hungry for a deeper ‘why.’ They are hungry for Jesus. November is global Bible month, and Bible sales are up. “And I’m just seeing this massive resurgence in young women, in young men, across college campuses getting baptized, sharing the Gospel and wanting to leave this world a better place.” We see that Bad Bunny is the leading populizer of “trap music”, but must admit to an unfamiliarity with the term. We have searched for a definition – and it doesn’t seem to be something of which Lamar Hunt would have approved: Trap music, also known simply as trap, is a subgenre of hip-hop music that originated in the Southern United States, with lyrical references to trap starting in 1991 but the modern sound of trap appearing in 1999. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang term “trap house”, a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music is known for its simple, rhythmic, minimalistic productions that use synthesized drums, and is characterized by complex hi-hat patterns, snare drums, bass drums, some tuned with a long decay to emit a bass frequency (originally from the Roland TR-808 drum machine), and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence.– – –In trap music, lyrical themes mostly revolve around the general life and culture in the “trap” or in the actual southern trap house where controlled substances are being sold. The term “trap” refers to places where drug deals take place. Other topics also include street life, acquiring wealth, violence, American vehicles, and life experiences that artists have faced in their southern American surroundings Of course, Bad Bunny’s lyrics will be in Spanish. The DB had heard that this is the last year that Roc Nation will be determining for the NFL who can appear at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. But we also see this from an approving Taijuan Moorman of USA TODAY last year: Roc Nation and the NFL have extended their partnership. The entertainment company founded by Jay-Z will continue to produce the Super Bowl halftime show, USA TODAY confirmed with a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. The details of the contract have yet to be announced. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Jay-Z first announced the multiyear partnership with Roc Nation in 2019, with the company serving as the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist as a part of the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. The initiative also focuses on the league’s social justice efforts and was launched following the NFL’s controversial treatment of former player Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality during the 2016 season. The history of Beyoncé, Jay-Z and the Super Bowl: Onstage and behind the scenes“It’s been a mutually positive relationship,” Goodell told Bloomberg, who was first to report the news. “I’m not sure either one of us really spend much time talking about contracts. Jay is happy. (Roc Nation CEO) Desiree Perez is happy. I’m happy, so we’re all good.” Under the partnership with Roc Nation, Super Bowl halftime headliners have included: Shakira and Jennifer Lopez; The Weeknd; Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak; Rihanna; and, most recently, Usher, who was joined by Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Will.i.am, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris. In September, Lamar was announced as the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show headliner. Super Bowl LIX is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Meanwhile, the Inspire Change campaign has resulted in $55 million in grants to social justice organizations, and team contributions have resulted in more than $248 million to “change-driven” non-profits, according to the NFL. |
| 2026 DRAFTLet’s see what Matt Miller of ESPN.com has in mind in his Mock Draft: Here are my projections for all 32 first-round picks in 2026, starting with those couple of trades to shake up the top of the board. (Underclassmen are noted with an asterisk.) Projected trade: Jets move up to No. 1 overallArmed with two first-round picks and an additional second-round pick in 2026 thanks to the deadline trades of cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Jets are moving up to Tennessee’s spot at No. 1 in this mock draft. Since the Titans used their 2025 No. 1 pick on quarterback Cam Ward, they could be persuaded to move down and accumulate draft capital to build around their young QB. In this deal, the Jets would send both of their first-round picks (Nos. 4 and 28) and their 2027 second-round pick to the Titans for the top selection. 1. New York Jets (via projected trade with 1-9 TEN)Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana*Jets general manager Darren Mougey didn’t load up on draft capital by trading away Gardner and Williams to watch teams pick quarterbacks ahead of him. So I had the Jets aggressively move up for Mendoza, a pocket passer with great touch and timing who can carve up a defense with surgical accuracy while providing enough mobility to execute on the move. Mendoza might not be in Caleb Williams’ class in terms of top QB prospects over the past five years, but he’s the best in this class and the Jets have to take swing at the position. Justin Fields was just benched, and Tyrod Taylor isn’t the long-term answer. Mendoza’s 30 touchdown passes to five interceptions shows how careful he is with the football. Projected trade: Browns flip spots with the GiantsLike the Titans, the Giants drafted their quarterback of the future in 2025 in Jaxson Dart, making them a prime candidate to move down. With the Browns in quarterback flux and sporting multiple first-round picks in the 2026 draft, Cleveland would send the No. 3 pick to the Giants to move up one spot. New York would also receive third-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to move down to No. 3. 2. Cleveland Browns (via projected trade with 2-9 NYG)Dante Moore, QB, Oregon*The Browns’ many attempts to find a franchise quarterback have failed, so it’s back to the drawing board. Moore started five games at UCLA in 2023 before transferring to Oregon and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel — whom he’d actually be replacing here — in 2024. Moore has played with poise and touch this season, completing 72.8% of his passes for 2,190 yards and 21 touchdowns to five interceptions while showing great arm talent. He isn’t a shoo-in to declare for 2026, given his limited experience (15 starts), but Moore’s penchant for making tough throws from muddy pockets would fit in Cleveland. Moore alone wouldn’t be a quick fix, but matching him with RB Quinshon Judkins and TE Harold Fannin Jr. would give the Browns a young, high-energy offense. 3. New York Giants (via projected trade with 2-8 CLE)Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami*Not needing a quarterback, the Giants can do the smart thing and trade down to acquire more draft capital. They have needs across the offensive line, and while the 2026 draft class doesn’t align with their wish list perfectly, Mauigoa would be a plug-and-play starter at right tackle opposite Andrew Thomas. Some scouts see Mauigoa as a guard at the next level because of his stocky 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame, but his ability to create space in the run game with power and people-moving skills would boost what the Giants could become with Dart and RB Cam Skattebo. Mauigoa has allowed just one sack all season … which is the same number of touchdowns he has scored. 4. Tennessee Titans (via projected trade with 2-8 NYJ)Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State*For the Titans to get a true evaluation of Ward, he needs a go-to receiver to throw to alongside emerging supporting players Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Tyson is the big-play deep threat Tennessee’s offense is missing, as he has 57 receptions for 628 yards and eight touchdowns this season after catching 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, he doesn’t have hulking size, but Tyson elevates to play the ball in the air like a much larger player while still providing the speed to rip off big runs. With its young offensive line building chemistry, the best thing Tennessee can do for Ward is build up a cast of young receivers around him like Cincinnati did for Joe Burrow. 5. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama*Geno Smith has not worked out in Las Vegas, and a quarterback reboot is coming. Perhaps the Raiders could be a destination for a veteran like Kyler Murray or Mac Jones should either be available, but Las Vegas is also a prime candidate to draft a quarterback should one be on the board. Simpson has started only 10 games in college, but he’s playing with impeccable poise and timing after developing for three seasons. The 6-2 208-pounder has thrown 22 touchdowns to just two picks this season. Simpson’s inexperience will need to be vetted by scouts, but his instincts and processing are starter level. 6. New Orleans Saints (2-8)Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State*If the Saints move forward with Tyler Shough at quarterback, they’ll be left with two obvious needs: edge rusher and wide receiver. Drafting the best player available from those positions is the move for GM Mickey Loomis, and Reese is arguably the nation’s top player this season. He aligns at both linebacker and edge rusher for Ohio State, with 6.5 sacks, 17 pressures and 58 tackles this season. His ability to impact the game with an explosive first step would bring a spark to the Saints’ front four that has been missing since Trey Hendrickson left in free agency after the 2020 season. 7. Washington Commanders (3-8)Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami*The Commanders have needs along their defensive front seven, specifically at edge rusher and linebacker. Bain has three sacks, 40 pressures and a time to first pressure of 2.58 seconds this season (32nd in the FBS) despite facing constant double-teams. The 6-3 275-pounder is versatile, with the strength to align as a 6-technique along the right side of the defense and as a 3-technique in speedier defensive line packages. With Von Miller nearing the end of his career (he turns 37 in March) and Jacob Martin entering free agency, Washington needs to upgrade on the edge. 8. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7)Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn*Hendrickson will become a free agent after the season, and his return to Cincinnati is hardly guaranteed considering the acrimonious nature of his preseason holdout. Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample will also be free agents, leaving the Bengals with needs up front despite drafting Shemar Stewart in the first round this year and Myles Murphy in 2023. Neither has had much of an impact, so perhaps Faulk could break through. At 6-6, 285 pounds, Faulk is built in the mold of Hendrickson with the power to lock out offensive tackles and the quickness to get to the quarterback. He has two sacks and 24 pressures this season and can rush from the inside and outside. 9. Arizona Cardinals (3-7)Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State*Downs is the top player on my board and the Cardinals could use a safety upgrade, so this would be a marriage of need and value. Safety might not be Arizona’s biggest need — that depends on what happens with Murray at QB — but stealing the best player of the draft while improving the back end is how smart teams are built. Jalen Thompson will be a free agent this offseason and Budda Baker turns 30 in January, so adding Downs — who has deep range and the strength to play in the box — would make sense. He’s commonly compared to the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton, but Downs is more physical as a hybrid safety. 10. Los Angeles Rams (via 3-7 ATL)Spencer Fano, OT, Utah*The Rams’ offensive line will need to be retooled after the season, as right tackle Rob Havenstein is turning 34 and set to become a free agent. Fano, who has played both left and right tackle at Utah, is pro-ready with quick hands and well-developed instincts in pass protection. There are scouts who believe the 6-6, 308-pound junior might be best suited as an inside player because of his lack of elite strength, but his quickness and understanding of angles make him an ideal fit in Los Angeles. Doubters of Fano’s ability as the best pure tackle in the class need to check his stat line: zero sacks allowed and only four pressures surrendered this season. He’s the type of right tackle the Rams can build the next version of their line around. 11. Miami Dolphins (4-7)Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee*Before the 2025 season even started, the Dolphins lost their entire starting secondary from 2024 due to free agency, trades and injuries. And while some of the new additions have been positive, this defense could still use a true No. 1 outside cornerback. McCoy hasn’t played yet in 2025 after suffering an ACL tear in January but put enough great tape out in 2024 that scouts still consider him the top corner in the class. And while the Dolphins could consider a quarterback here, there isn’t one on the board that would be a serious threat to push Tua Tagovailoa in 2026. 12. Minnesota Vikings (4-6)Peter Woods, DT, Clemson*In 2025 mock drafts, the Vikings were a prime candidate to address defensive tackle early. They chose the free agent route instead with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, but both players are on the wrong side of 30. So a need still remains. Woods, who was the preseason No. 1 player for some scouts, is a three-down threat at 6-3 and 315 pounds. His stat line isn’t a jaw-dropper, with 2.0 sacks and nine pressures, but he rarely loses a rep. In that way, he’s similar to Quinnen Williams coming out of Alabama — and he could develop similar skills as a 3-technique. The Vikings could also look at a safety to replace veteran Harrison Smith or an extra wide receiver to play in the slot, but getting the draft’s best defensive tackle here would be a steal. 13. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1)Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame*It’s unlikely that Love will still be available at this pick come April, but we’ve seen teams pass on elite running backs because of positional value. I think Love is one of the three best players in the class and an RB prospect on par with Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley. Love would be a dream come true for the Cowboys, whose No. 1 running back (Javonte Williams) is set to be an unrestricted free agent. A true home run threat at 6-foot and 214 pounds, Love has ripped off touchdown runs of 98 and 94 yards in back-to-back seasons. His elite patience and burst are ideal for a zone rushing scheme, plus he has the all-around ability to boost the Cowboys’ loaded passing attack. 14. Baltimore Ravens (5-5)David Bailey, Edge, Texas TechDespite getting good value in adding Mike Green in the second round of the 2025 draft, the Ravens still lack impact pass rushers who can operate in space and have only 15 sacks this season (tied for 29th in the NFL). Bailey, who leads the FBS in sacks (12.5) and ranks second in hurries (55), has been a nightmare for offenses since transferring from Stanford before the season. The 6-3, 250-pound edge rusher wins with quickness off the snap, has enough pop in his bull rush to rock back tackles and shows a relentless motor that leads to second-chance sacks and QB hits. After starting the season as a Day 2 prospect, he has quickly played his way into the top 20. 15. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon*The decline of Kansas City’s offense can be blamed on a few things, but the lack of an explosive run game and tight end Travis Kelce’s decreased role are two prime factors. Unless Love somehow falls to this spot, I don’t see the Chiefs going running back in Round 1 — especially after whiffing on Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round in 2020 — but they could target Kelce’s replacement here. Sadiq’s ability to shake coverage and pick up yards after the catch would allow him to thrive in Kelce’s role. The 6-3, 245-pound junior has only 30 catches this season but has scored six touchdowns. 16. Houston Texans (5-5)Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State*The way Houston decided to remake its offensive line this past offseason was met with criticism around the league. The effort didn’t seem adequate in protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has missed two games because of injury this season. The Texans need to hit on their OL rebuild and could use another early draft pick up front after selecting tackle Aireontae Ersery in the second round in 2025. Ioane is the best interior lineman in this class, locking down Penn State’s left guard spot for most of the past three seasons. At 6-4 and 330 pounds, he is a mauler who uses his leverage to clear rushing lanes and hasn’t allowed a sack all season. 17. Carolina Panthers (6-5)Makai Lemon, WR, USC*Tetairoa McMillan was a great addition at No. 8 in 2025, but the Panthers haven’t gotten the same return on 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette. As quarterback Bryce Young’s rookie contract comes to a close, Carolina should take another shot at a young pass catcher. Lemon is an efficient, smart route runner at 5-10 and 191 pounds. He won’t wow you with leaping grabs on 50-50 passes, but he will carve up defenses and pick up yards after the catch. Much like Ladd McConkey, Lemon is a quarterback’s best friend on underneath routes and provides enough downfield ability to open up the offense. Lemon would be a dream counterpart to McMillan’s ability to body defensive backs. 18. Detroit Lions (6-4)T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson*Aidan Hutchinson is a one-man show on Detroit’s defensive line, which ranks dead last in pass rush win rate since offenses are able to key on him. Parker is the type of running mate we’ve tried to match to Detroit in mock drafts for several years now. At 6-3 and 265 pounds, he plays the edge with length and strength that are pro-caliber, which led to 11.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2024. While he has only 2.0 sacks this season as offenses slide to stop him, Parker’s effort and upper-body strength are exactly what Detroit needs opposite Hutchinson in a 4-3 scheme. 19. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State*The Steelers could flip a coin to decide whether to draft a quarterback or wide receiver, as both are of equal need. Quarterback would be the ideal pick, but the Steelers wouldn’t be in range for a starting-caliber prospect here and would likely add a veteran in free agency if Aaron Rodgers retires or doesn’t return. That leaves wide receiver, a position the Steelers have historically drafted very well. Trading for DK Metcalf gave Pittsburgh a true WR1, but the team now needs a WR2. At 6-3 and 195 pounds, Tate has the vertical ability to win over the top and make plays on 50-50 passes. More importantly, he has succeeded in the No. 2 role next to superstar sophomore Jeremiah Smith. Tate has seven touchdowns on 39 receptions this season. 20. Cleveland Browns (via 6-4 JAX)Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah*After trading up to draft Moore, the Browns could use their next first-round pick to protect him. Lomu, a redshirt sophomore left tackle, has the tools to play multiple positions up front, according to NFL scouts. That positional versatility could come in handy since Cleveland has to face a lot of offseason decisions with its line. The Browns have four offensive linemen set to hit free agency, and they’ve cycled through options at left tackle because of injuries and missed draft picks. Lomu’s athletic tools jump off the tape with his light feet and easy recovery agility. It’s easy to see a path for him to develop in Cleveland, homing in on a skill set that has helped him allow zero sacks and only five pressures this season. 21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)Mansoor Delane, CB, LSUJamel Dean has been great this season, but the 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. That increases the likelihood of Tampa Bay drafting a cornerback early. Delane, who transferred to LSU from Virginia Tech before the season, has been the best coverage corner I’ve seen on tape. At 6-foot and 190 pounds, he shows remarkable toughness through the route and battles with receivers for the ball. Delane has grabbed two interceptions and allowed a completion percentage of just 29% when targeted by opposing quarterbacks this season. Some teams might flag his shorter than ideal arm length, but Delane has the feisty traits that Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles appreciates in his corners. 22. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon*The Chargers need to address the interior of both lines this offseason — be that at guard, center or defensive tackle. With the top interior O-lineman off the board, the Chargers could look for a difference-maker on Jesse Minter’s defensive line. Washington, who moves very well at 330 pounds, would form a wall alongside 2025 third-rounder Jamaree Caldwell. Both players could bottle up the run game and still crash the pocket in Minter’s system. Washington was identified by scouts as a potential riser in the preseason, and he has lived up to those expectations. Beefing up the defensive line with a top-20 player is also a classic Jim Harbaugh move. 23. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State*The 49ers invested four picks in the 2025 draft along the defensive line, adding Mykel Williams (edge), Robert Beal Jr. (edge), Alfred Collins (DT) and CJ West (DT). But the 49ers are last in the NFL with 12 sacks, so more help is needed, especially at defensive tackle. McDonald, who lines up at nose tackle for the Buckeyes, has been an elite run defender as a first-year starter but also adds pass-rush ability, with three sacks and five pressures this season. At 6-3 and 326 pounds, the junior has also added 44 tackles through 10 games, an unreal number for a nose tackle. 24. Dallas Cowboys (via 6-3-1 GB)Damon Wilson II, Edge, Missouri*A prized recruit in the transfer portal, Wilson arrived at Missouri after leaving Georgia. He has posted seven sacks and an interception this season while impressing with his first-step quickness and use of length at 6-4 and 250 pounds. Wilson reminds me of James Pearce Jr. in his athletic profile and is posting the stats to back up that comparison. Dallas could use a player like Wilson off the edge after trading away Micah Parsons and rebuilding the interior defensive line by trading for defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. 25. Chicago Bears (7-3)Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama*The Bears could go a number of directions here, including safety and edge rusher, but Chicago needs to find a long-term left tackle. Braxton Jones was unable to lock down the job and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Theo Benedet has had pass-protection issues. Proctor’s tape has been up and down because of inconsistent balance and leverage, but it’s rare to find a 360-pound left tackle who can move like he does. There are conversations about putting him at guard a la Mekhi Becton, but the Bears need a blindside protector for Caleb Williams. Proctor’s movement ability would fit in seamlessly if he can become more consistent. 26. Buffalo Bills (7-3)Denzel Boston, WR, Washington*The Bills have struggled in finding wide receivers in free agency and the draft, with 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman being inconsistent prior to being a healthy scratch in Week 11. At 6-4, 210 pounds, Boston is capable of playing on the outside and in the slot, making him a fun complement to the speedy Khalil Shakir. Boston’s ability to win 50-50 balls is exactly what Josh Allen needs to make big plays in scramble drills. Along with the physical attributes, Boston has been productive, catching 52 passes for 730 yards and eight touchdowns this season after scoring nine touchdowns in 2024. 27. Seattle Seahawks (7-3)Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina*Sometimes a prospect’s skill set fits so perfectly with an NFL team that the match seems inevitable. That’s the case with Cisse and Mike Macdonald’s defense in Seattle. The explosive, quick Cisse has become one of the nation’s top cornerbacks after transferring from NC State, allowing only seven completions on 23 passes into his coverage while picking off one pass. Devon Witherspoon is a star at one corner spot, but Cisse would balance out the secondary opposite him, especially with Riq Woolen set to become an unrestricted free agent. 28. Tennessee Titans (via 8-2 IND and projected trade with NYJ)Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee*The Titans’ second pick from our projected trade nets them one of the nation’s most balanced coverage players. Hood is well-traveled, as Tennessee is his third school, but he’s producing Round 1 tape with the Vols. The 6-foot 190-pounder has one interception and 11 passes defensed this season while allowing only 5.3 yards per attempt when targeted. With the Titans addressing receiver earlier, Hood would bolster a pass defense that has allowed completions on 70.6% of pass attempts, the second worst in the NFL. 29. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)Germie Bernard, WR, AlabamaThe Eagles rarely draft for pure need in Round 1, opting for players who slip through the cracks and could be plugged in future use. That’s the case with Bernard, a dynamic receiver who could assume the slot role immediately and potentially replace A.J. Brown down the road. Bernard lines up all over Alabama’s offense as a runner and receiver; he has eight touchdowns, 48 catches and 676 yards from a variety of alignments. While he’s built like a running back at 6-1 and 204 pounds, Bernard is an explosive route runner. He has shown tough hands in contested-catch situations and uses crafty moves to create space. 30. New England Patriots (9-2)Chris Bell, WR, LouisvilleQuarterback Drake Maye is an MVP candidate despite a relatively anonymous set of wide receivers. And while Mack Hollins and Stefon Diggs are viable veteran options, the team must prioritize developing young starters. Bell represents the same type of physical mismatch that Hollins provides. At 6-2 and 227 pounds, most cornerbacks can’t keep their hands on Bell. And from the slot, he uses his 4.4 speed to run past safeties. Bell’s development will include building up his route tree, but he’s similar in that way to DK Metcalf coming out of Ole Miss. 31. Los Angeles Rams (8-2)CJ Allen, LB, Georgia*After addressing a need with an offensive tackle earlier in Round 1, the Rams could go with a value pick here and put Allen in one of the middle linebacker spots in Chris Shula’s base 3-4 scheme. Allen is a heat-seeking missile with excellent diagnosing ability and quick reflexes to pursue the ball. Scouts have compared him to Roquan Smith, which makes sense given his sideline-to-sideline aggressiveness and speed. While Nate Landman and Omar Speights are doing a fine job this season, Allen could be a key upgrade to the spine of Los Angeles’ defense. 32. Denver Broncos (9-2)Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas*Linebacker Alex Singleton is set to hit free agency in the offseason, opening the door for a contributor in the middle of Vance Joseph’s defense. Hill has been Texas’ middle linebacker since arriving on campus in 2023 and also shows ability as a pass rusher and key blitzer against mobile quarterbacks. There is debate around the league about his best pro position, as some scouts could see Hill move to edge rusher full time. But Denver would best use him at his current position, letting him wreak havoc on AFC West quarterbacks. |
